On the Touch-Screen Option, Why Do VP Machines Hold Cards Randomly?

I'm a long time video poker player. Often on machines, the hold buttons don't work properly, so a player has to use the touch-screen option. I'm speedy player and use both hands to hold cards. While using the touch-screen option, I often encounter times that the machine will hold middle cards that I don't touch. I've even had times where I hold cards the two outside cards and the machine also holds all three in between. I'm forced to release those holds, slowing down my play. I've been dealing with this for years and all machines seem to have the same issue, even new ones. If this is a known defect, I would have expected it to be fixed. That leads me to believe it is built in by design. If built in by design, why?

[Editor's Note: Bob Dancer responds.]

I don't believe this is a built-in feature of video poker machines.

Machines periodically need to be “degaussed,” which means that unwanted magnetism is removed in order that the monitor works correctly. This requires a slot technician to open up the machine and go through procedures. The exact procedure varies somewhat with game manufacturers and generations of machines.

When what you describe happens to a machine I'm playing, I move to another machine immediately and/or call for a slot tech. Random card holds not only slows my play down to a crawl, it also causes errors. Sometimes these errors are expensive, like when you mean to hold four cards to a royal and instead hold five cards to a nothing because the machine itself held a card.

Sometimes after the fact, there is no obvious fix to these mistakes. Sometimes there's an obvious fix, but the casino won’t do anything about it. Sometimes slot techs are unavailable for various reasons. To avoid these possible problems, change machines immediately if you can -- though sometimes no identical machines are available (perhaps on a progressive where every seat is taken).

This kind of mistake seems to happen more on bartops, as spilled drinks mess up the machines' innards.

Other types of machine problems are possible in addition to this one. In all cases, it’s up to the players to protect themselves. If a mistake does happen, you can call over a slot floorman and plead your case, but you won’t always be successful at that.

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Comments

jstewa22 Jul-03-2021

this seems to be a common problem

I've often noticed this problem, as I usually use the touch screen rather than the buttons.  I haven't rigorously tested this, but it does seem that most or all touch screen can't handle two simultaneous touches (for example, if holding cards with both hands).  The machine invariably holds an extra card or two, usually one or more cards between the two touches.  Has anyone else noticed this?  Might be an engineering flaw (and yeah, one that the casinos and manufacturers won't be in a hurry to correct).

Dave_Miller_DJTB Jul-03-2021

Degauss

Unless I’m mistaken, degaussing only applies to older, CRT style video screens.

Unfortunately, since most video poker are older machines, most likely, they’re CRT.

Ray Jul-03-2021

As always...cost

From Bob's answer, it seems that 2 things apply here. 1) the procedure costs money and 2) it takes a machine out of circulation for a while. These are 2 things that casinos don't want. So, each casino (or group) has a different philosophy on how often they should spend money (and how much) to maintain their machines.

Thomas Dikens Jul-03-2021

Machine mistakes

It might be a lot of work.  But one could video tape the session on your phone.  Then one would at least have proof to show the floor.

LVChristine Jul-03-2021

A couple of things it could be

Screen could need recalibrated, which a slot employee (not necessarily a tech) should be able to do. Most times it works. Another reason could be the screen is dirty, and the smudges or "gunk" can replicate the user touching the screen

Scott Jul-03-2021

Two fingers bad

I am by far not an expert on video touch screens, but if you try to use two fingers at the same time on different places on the screen of your phone or tablet it will also act erratically.

Jackie Jul-03-2021

Touchscreens

You didn't need Bob to answer this one as every tech knows the answer.

If your ever noticed, and I have done this many times on VP machines, is that you can swipe your finger across the screen to select multiple cards.  If you use two fingers on the screen simultaneously then the machine will interpret that as selecting multiple cards, a NORMAL response. There is nothing wrong with the machine and why complaining will get you nowhere.

Think of it like your smart phone where swiping your finger across the screen changes pages. How you swipe gets different results.

Jerry Patey Jul-03-2021

Hold cards

This has happened to me 3 times at Orleans on diff machines in the same area. Each time I called slot host  they look up my last play and on each machine and did give me the money. One at Fremont was bigger. I believe it was aces. The slot host looked at my last hand and saw 3 aces and low cards. He said my obvious play would be hold the 3 aces. I was lucky and got my money. Definetly move machines. Might best best to go to diff area. They shut the machines down anyway. It seems to be intermittent electrical problem and you know how that goes

Jerry Patey Jul-03-2021

Addendum

My machines would flip a held card. With tree aces it flipped one of the aces. I do not swipe. How do you video something that occurs one time at random? It may or may not cost you money. When I had 3 at Orleans the slot host was starting to blame me after the 3rd one. Then the repair guy arrived. He did not.

Kevin Lewis Jul-03-2021

All that aside...

Why on earth would anyone not use the buttons? It's obvious that it's MUCH easier to make a mistake using the touch screen. If you have a machine with sticky buttons, you shouldn't switch to using the touch screen; you should get out a sledgehammer, destroy the offending machine, and move to another one.

And now, somebody's going to say that they don't carry a sledgehammer into the casino with them. But there's no excuse for being unprepared. Also, in a pinch, you can ask the little old lady next to you if you can borrow her sledgehammer. She has one in her purse; it's big enough.

mhernandez116 Jul-03-2021

Bartops

Is it also the spilled drinks that cause the horrible paytables on bartop machines?

Slotmassacre Jan-19-2022

Calibrating

The older touch screens have a calibration tool. Sometimes they need to be recalibrated. They way it works is it will ask the technician to put a finger to a spot of the screen indicated by an x (or equivalent) and it will do this over and over. For newer machines I doubt that it works this way anymore.

A.P. Baguley

Question of the Day - 03 July 2021

Comments